So, you’ve just moved to Plymouth to start University, you’ve all settled into halls, had your induction and now it’s time to get stuck into life in Britain’s Ocean City.

It’s totally understandable to be nervous or scared about moving away from home for the first time, you may not know the area very well or at all; you may wonder where the best places to hang out with friends are, or even wonder what there is to do in Plymouth besides University lectures and student nights out.

Well do not fret, we have a list of the best places in Plymouth that are a little different but equally as fun. Let us know if you’ve tried any of them and what you thought of them.

Belong

44 New George St, Plymouth PL1 1RW

Great if you’re interested in gaming:
Gaming // Group Activities // Virtual Reality // Competitions

Right in the centre of Plymouth, next to the sundial, you’ll find Game, a great place for all your gaming needs, but in the back is Belong, a gaming arena changing the way we see gaming.

It’s a great social space for casual, social and competitive gamers with high-powered gaming PC’s, Xbox One and PlayStation 4 consoles, so there can’t be any arguments over the master gaming platform of choice.

You can play top titles and even join gaming teams. Belong’s arenas allow competitive gamers to explore the world of esports by joining their tri-annual tournament, Arena Clash.

They have a full blown VR area for you to play and enjoy which staff help set up for you where you can enjoy room-scale gameplay, precise motion tracking and natural controller gestures. Then just put on the headset and you’ll be immersed in a world full of surprises!

Opening times:

Monday-Friday: 12.30 pm – 9 pm
Saturday: 9 am – 9 pm
Sunday: 11 am – 9 pm

Twist Board Game Cafe

43 Mayflower St, Plymouth PL1 1QL

Great if you’re interested in:
Board games // Coffee // Group Activities

Twist really is a great place to go when you’re looking for something a little different. They’re Plymouth’s first board game café! They have a library of over 400 games for you to play, their Game Guru’s are always on hand to recommend games that suit your group, time and mood, and they’ll even teach you how to play games to save you reading the rules.

You can play as many games as you want during your visit, and you don’t even need to leave your seat if you want any food or drinks. At busy times there is a 4 hour limit per table, which is more than enough time to play a few games, but if there’s nobody waiting for a table then you can stay for as long as you like. It only costs £5 per person to play, which is so cheap especially for at least 4 hours of playing games!

The staff are super friendly and Hayley, the owner of Twist, is an absolute gem who always has a smile on her face, they’re pretty laid back and don’t take themselves too seriously; they also allow dogs inside. It’s so lovely and inviting you won’t want to leave!

It’s a great place for trying something a little different and is a great environment where you can escape the outside world and get stuck in the excitement of play!

Opening times:

Monday: Closed
Tuesday-Thursday: 10 am – 11 pm
Friday-Saturday: 10 am – 12 am
Sunday: 10 am – 11 pm

Plymouth Arts Centre

Plymouth College of Art, Tavistock Pl, Plymouth PL4 8AT

Great if you’re interested in:
Films // Cinema // Independent Films // Open Air Cinema Experiences

Plymouth Art Centre is Plymouth’s only independent cinema. They are passionate about films, and they want as many people as possible to experience cinema and feel inspired, challenged and thrilled by what they watch.

From world cinema and art-house films to more mainstream fare, Anna, their film programmer, picks the best of what’s around, along with the occasional classic to enjoy on the big screen.

The Plymouth Art Centre team are super lovely and welcoming, they have developed a national reputation as champions of gender equality in the film industry, and were early adopters of the F-rating and Birds Eye View’s Reclaim the Frame.

They are also running Open Air Cinema screenings at the Royal William Yard where you can bring and enjoy a nice picnic or purchase popcorn and drinks. You will need to bring your own seating and blacks but there’s plenty of room to set down a blanket on the grass and cuddle up while watching the film. They also have the opportunity to purchase VIP tickets where they will provide you with seating, blankets, popcorn and a drink.

Opening times:

Monday: Closed
Tuesday-Friday: 5 pm – 8.30 pm
Saturday: 1 pm – 8.30 pm
Sunday: Closed

The Hive Mind

2 Frankfort Gate, Plymouth UK PL1 1QD

Great if you’re interested in:
Comics // Games // Collectables

The Hive Mind is a comic book and game store, with everything your inner geek would want! It’s filled from floor to ceiling with great comics of every genre, including DC, Marvel, Dark Horse, IDW, Image and independent titles stocked and ready to pre-order.

As well as comics, The Hive Mind have HUNDREDS of different collectables and games you can buy. They have every Funko Pop figure you can think of and can even order them for you in the small chance they don’t have the one you’re looking for. They have a great selection of games too, with loads of versions of Monopoly like Stranger Things, The Walking Dead, Fallout and Marvel!

Opening times:

Monday: 10.30 am – 5.30 pm
Tuesday-Saturday: 9.30 am – 5.30 pm
Sunday: 10.30 am – 4.30 pm

Game Zone

112 New George Street, Plymouth, PL1 1RZ

Great if you’re interested in:
Games // Collectables // Retro gaming // Trading

Game Zone is one of those great hidden gems of Plymouth. The staff are lovely and super helpful! Located just around the corner from the Market, you can’t miss this wonderful shop, I mean… How can you miss a giant Lara Croft in the window?!

Here you can buy and sell games, old and new. They have a great stock of more modern gaming things, like Xbox One and PS4 consoles, games and hardware, but they also have real retro gaming equipment. The have walls are covered retro games and gaming gear like Nintendo 64’s and Sega Mega Drive’s.

They have a huge collection of trading cards like Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh and Magic The Gathering that you can purchase and sell, so if you’re missing anything from your collection, make sure to give them a visit and see if they have the card you’re looking for, you never know! If trading cards aren’t your thing, then you should definitely look at their retro toys; they have everything from Star Wars to Lego, there’s so much to look at and get excited about when you visit Game Zone!

Opening times:

Monday-Saturday: 10 am – 5 pm
Sunday: 10 am – 4 pm

Warhammer

84 Cornwall St, Plymouth PL1 1LR

Great if you’re interested in:
Tabletop Gaming // Figures // Painting // Collecting

Previously named Games Workshop, the Warhammer store is not just great for buying your first Warhammer army, it’s also a great place you can hang out, paint, and battle your armies. You don’t even need to be an expert in the game to play, they will help teach you the game and tell you more about the armies.

If you want to start your first Warhammer army then the staff are a great help, they’ll help you pick out the perfect army for you to learn how to play and paint properly. If table top wars are not your thing, but you still love to paint, it’s definitely something you would enjoy, and they even allow you to paint in the shop and teach you really useful techniques on how to make your models look as real as possible; it’s super fun and really relaxing!

Opening times:

Monday-Wednesday: 11 am – 5 pm
Thursday: 11 am – 9.30 pm
Friday: 11 am – 5 pm
Saturday: 10 am – 6 pm
Sunday: 11 am – 5 pm

Archery Assault

6 Keppel Place, Plymouth, PL2 1AX
They are flexible and have venue partnerships around Plymouth so can be as convenient as possible for any group looking for an activity in their area, they tend to work around their customers preferences.

Great if you’re interested in:
Archery // Sports // Experiences // Group Activities

This is one of the most fun things you can do in Plymouth, especially in a group. It’s totally safe and pain free, if you love paintball but hate the mess and pain, then this is definitely for you! You can play with or against your friends, it’s great for birthdays and celebrations, but also great if you just want a day out doing exciting things and shooting your friends with padded bow and arrows.

If you’ve ever wanted to do archery, but felt it was too expensive, or that it was just target shooting and no fun… Then think again, this is a great alternative to a more messy and painful paintball experience. You can play against your friends, or team up with them to take on rivals in a team of deathmatch.

They do events for birthdays, hen and stag dos, skill enrichment, team and staff team building, you name it, they have an event for it and there’s something for everyone!

Opening times:

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